Posture of the month

Posture of the month –
Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog

Namaste!

As we move into Spring we enjoy the re birth of nature around us and begin to feel more alive and rejuvenated. Our yoga practise changes too becoming a little more physical and dynamic. Having enjoyed a slow, thoughtful and restorative practise during the winter months , deepening the meditative aspects of our practise and letting go of unwanted patterns, we now awaken to fresh energy.

Adho Mukha Svanasana, the Downward Dog is a prevelant pose in yoga and used to enhance our strength and awareness of breath.

With Spring in the air and the warmer months insight why not enjoy a yoga class with friends either take a class together or roll out the mat in the garden and enjoy a gentle practise in the sun.

Primary aim:
• A resting pose for the entire body and all its functions
Secondary benefits:
• Stretches and strengthens the shoulders and upper chest
• Releases tension from the trunk
• Stretches calves and Achilles tendons
Set up:
• Go down onto all fours
• Activate core muscles, bandhas and breath freely
Performance:
• Inhale curl toes under and lift sit bones up to the sky
• Press fully into the hands, straighten the arms and legs
• Lengthen through the spine and neck
• Exhale, lower the heels to the floor
• Relax the shoulder blades away from the spine
• Position the ears between the arms
• Gaze at the knees
• Breath freely
Avoid:
• Squeezing the shoulders into the neck
• Rounding the back
• Forcing the chest to the floor
Modifications:
• Bend the knees to avoid pressure on the lumber spine and hamstrings
• Lift the heels a little off the floor to release Achilles and calf muscles
• ‘Walk the dog’ to release lower legs and massage hips


Cathy Underwood is the founder and creator of the award winning YOGA4MUMS. To find out more please visit www.yoga4mums.com
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Posture of the month

Posture of the month by Cathy Underwood
Creative director of the award winning YOGA4MUMS


Great Posture

The Economist featured an interesting article this month entitled ‘The power of posture’ drawing on research compiled by the University of Illinois. The piece suggests that how you hold yourself affects how you view yourself.

With over 20 years of experience teaching fitness and yoga techniques my first reaction was ‘well duh!’ To me it seems obvious that to stand tall makes anyone feel better as it brings the body into correct alignment, one can breathe better and it is an active stance that inspires confidence.

The article concludes that ‘those who walk around with their heads held high not only get the respect of others, they seem also to respect themselves’

Inspired by these words our posture of the month has to be:

Samasthiti – the equal pose

Primary function:
• To begin and end the sun salutations, also used for stabilising before and after other postures
Secondary function:
• An opportunity to correct alignment and restore free breathing

Set up:
• Stand tall with feet together
• Spread your body weight evenly across both feet
• Find neutral spine
• Activate core awareness and breathe freely
• Gaze ahead

Performance:
• Energise posture rooting down through the feet, arms, hands and fingers
• Draw awareness to the core/ bandhas
• Imagine energy lifting up through the spine and out through the top of the head

Avoid:
• Fallen arches, locking knees, looking down

Modifications:
• Separate the feet and soften the knees for more stability

Final point:
• Smile, you’re awesome!

For more information about YOGA4MUMS please visit our website www.yoga4mums.com

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